新的er fabric network input/output (I/O) cables and connectors support higher speeds, reduce latency, and support the latest interfaces — including the IEEE-802.3df Ethernet 200G per-lane specification project and modified versions, such as the RoCE and iWARP Ethernet.
Other new cable and connector developments are working to include standard InfiniBand XDR 200G and modified versions, such as Altos’ BIX and Cornelis’ Omni-Path Express.
End-user demands are also pushing the InfiniBand Trade Associations (IBTA) to research GDR 400G per-lane optical links. IBTA works to maintain and further the InfiniBand Architecture specification defining hardware transport protocols to support reliable messaging (send/receive) and memory manipulation semantics without software intervention.
For example, this IBTA roadmap is likely to get tweaked later this year with the addition of new target dates.
高性能电缆（HBC）市场继续扩大新产品和发展，包括：
- NDR 100G link applications
- 3CK 106G每泳机以太网产品
- 1x Link-USIC SFP（小型尺寸可插拔）电缆和连接器
- 2x Link-usi使用SFP-DD（双密度）或DSFP（双小型可插拔）电缆和连接器
- 4X link-use QSFP (quad small form-factor pluggable) and OSFP (octal small form-factor pluggable) interconnects
- 12X link-use CXP interconnects
QSFP-DD和OSFP-XD互连可与多端口4和8脚扇出电缆组件一起使用，用于切换到交换机应用。到目前为止，8倍和10X车道实现也经历了一些需求。
使用较大的可插拔互连导致了一个机架单元（Ru）面板上可用的端口计数降低。但是，根据网络设备，这并不总是理想的。几个OEM和最终用户一直在寻找这种低端口密度问题的新解决方案。
One option offering a higher circuit count and greater port density is Samtec’s Front Panel I/O NovaRay connector and cable family. It currently provides various lane and form factors for the 112G per-lane, copper-cable internal and external links — with a 224G version likely already in development. It’s possible that it could work for passive and active copper cables that have different Flyover styles.
新的er 112G and developing 224G backplane twin-axial cabling solutions are advancing to support internal and external fabric applications. The external versions typically use custom metal plug shells that mate with metal sockets or receptacles.
An example is Samtec’s internal ExaMAX2 cable.
新的光学的connector
Despite demands for increased faceplate port densities, higher lane counts, and greater capacity radix switch topologies, there’s also a growing interest in smaller connector solutions. Take Senko’s SN-MT multi-fiber push-on (MPO) connector as an example. It offers a 2.7X density increase compared to the conventional MPO- 16F and it has the same footprint as an SN duplex.
该连接器家族包括裸丝带，墙壁后面，快门和中间配置类型。它的功能如下所述。
Other network equipment developers are solving the port density and lane size issues by employing Single Lambda’s single-mode wavelengths in 100G and 200G. The 400G per fiber in pluggable AOCs, AOMs, and front-panel faceplates are under development. The IEEE-802.3cu spec supports Single Lambda’s 100G and 200G applications.
Trends
The demand for higher port densities and lane counts is primarily driven by fabric, accelerator, storage, system bus, telecom, and other network segment applications. A few other fabric-network interfaces that are offering new optical connectors with advanced features are NVMe, GenZ, CXL, FibreChannel 224G, OIF 224G, NumaLink 8/9, and TOFU 4.0 interconnects. Additionally, the IPEC consortium has started a new 224G per lane project.
更重要的是：更新的质量融合，多纤维终端设备促进更高质量和更具成本效益的光学连接。优缺点是光纤电缆更加柔韧，更容易路线，重量较小，并允许更好的气流。CPO内部互连实现通常在面板上使用外部，无源光缆。
A new class of fabric DC network connectors and cables are also in development to support connectivity in liquid immersed, cryogenic, and quantum computing systems. Although optical connections would offer advantages over copper connections, most of the cables are coaxial and twin-axial. So, it will be interesting to review the I/O signaling channel parameters and measurements for these applications.
国防高级研究项目机构（DARPA）要求专注于8和16通道，每电缆接口应用。目前，几个I / O接口标准组有关200g和400g每通道连接器和电缆规格参数，测量方法介质类型，连接器 - 电缆实现和合规性互操作性Plugfests的讨论。
Finalthoughts
就像任何技术，电缆和连接器选项在过去20年中都在演变。如果理想是使用带有34TP或68线导体电缆的VHDCI连接器，用于应用的应用，如宽并行超法，它会使用更小的1x和4x高速铜缆电缆（HSSDC）选项。
随着时间的推移，具有2或8个双轴布线的稍大的SFP / QSFP连接器是它们的更高性能和低延迟，与更窄，串行的纤维通道和Infiniband互连相结合。
Somewhat ironically, today’s OSFP-XD connectors are about the same form-factor size as older VHDCI connectors. The advanced fabric I/O interfaces require larger OSFP-XD cables and offer 32 twin-axial or 64 wire conductors sometimes referred to as wide serial interface solutions. The cable and connector size is similar to what it was a couple of decades ago.
However, smaller pluggable options are necessary for the copper centric systems. This is where the Samtec NovaRay Front Panel I/O connector and the Senko SN-MT connectors are likely to impact the market, supporting higher-density link/port fabric network architectures. Smaller form-factors and lighter options are ideal for high-volume automated manufacturing.
In regard to the lane options, Trunking, Multi-Trunking, Link Aggregation 802.3ah, and multiple wavelength Lambda streams have been employing lanes in one fiber. It’s expected that multi-core or multi-hollow fiber will be in demand in the future. IB NDR WAN long-haul interconnect products, developed by Nvidia/Mellanox, work well with the growing HPC fabric topologies.
Filed Under:Connector Tips
